The inventive concept relates generally to memory controllers, methods of operating memory controllers, and apparatuses incorporating memory controllers. More particularly, the inventive concept relates to memory controller operating methods capable of copying back page-group data from one memory block to another memory block during a read refresh operation.
Flash memory devices include a vast number of individual memory cells that operate under various conditions related to both the memory cells themselves and the flash memory device as a whole. For example, it is well understood that each flash memory cell will gradually ‘fatigue’ (or wear-out) over its operational life. Additionally, the quality (or reliability) of the data stored by a memory cell at any given point in time will be affected by certain eternal (e.g., noise, environmental, and/or operating voltage-related) factors. That is, the actual threshold voltage exhibited by a programmed flash memory cell relative to a set of defined threshold voltage distributions is a function of many factors. Accordingly, memory system designers seek to account for these many factors in order to provide data having the highest data reliability that may be reasonably expected for a memory device, given its age, use, and overall functionality.